Vicky Krieps, Christian Friedel Join Aimee Lou Wood, Johnny Flynn in Malgorzata Szumowska, Michal Englert’s ‘The Idiots’

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Actors Vicky Krieps, known for roles in “Corsage” and “Phantom Thread,” and Christian Friedel, who has appeared in “The Zone of Interest” and “White Lotus,” have been added to the cast of “The Idiots,” alongside Aimee Lou Wood and Johnny Flynn.

In 2022, Krieps clinched both Cannes’ Un Certain Regard Best Performance award and the European Film Award for his role in “Corsage”. Meanwhile, Friedel has been nominated twice for the Best Actor category at both the European and German film awards.

Additional performers set to join the production are Barbara Marten, known for her roles in “Dune: The Prophecy” and “Oranges and Sunshine”, as well as three-time German Film Award nominee Rainer Bock, recognized for his work in “Atlas”, “Das Boot”, and “The White Ribbon”.

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Barbara Marten (“Dune: The Prophecy,” “Oranges and Sunshine”) and Rainer Bock (“Atlas”, “Das Boot”, “The White Ribbon”), a three-time German Film Award nominee, are the newest members to join our cast.

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Joining the cast, we have Barbara Marten from “Dune: The Prophecy” and “Oranges and Sunshine”, along with three-time German Film Award nominee Rainer Bock who has worked on films such as “Atlas”, “Das Boot”, and “The White Ribbon”.

The upcoming movie will be helmed by Polish directors Małgorzata Szumowska and Michał Englert, who are also collaborating on the screenplay along with Kasper Bajon and Bríd Arnstein. Additionally, Englert is taking on the role of cinematographer. Responsibility for international distribution lies with The Match Factory.

As a devoted cinephile, I’m thrilled to share with you an upcoming movie based on “The Gambler Wife: A True Story of Love, Risk, and the Woman Who Saved Dostoyevsky” by Andrew D. Kaufman, released in 2021. This film delves into the lives of the legendary author Fyodor Dostoyevsky and his remarkable spouse, Anna, during a pivotal period that ignited the inspiration for his masterpiece, “The Idiot”. Initially, this novel was a commercial disappointment but has since been acknowledged as one of the most significant works in literary history.

Anna and Fiedya’s honeymoon adventure in Baden transforms into an unforeseen, intense voyage where fact merges with fantasy, the East collides with the West, and gambling results in disaster. This story offers a compelling depiction of the tumultuous relationship between the author and his brave spouse, as they confront challenges and strive to bring to life their vision of a future masterpiece titled “The Idiot.

Agnieszka Szumowska is a two-time winner of the Silver Bear award at the Berlin International Film Festival, for her films “Mug” (2018) and “Body” (2015). She also won the Special Jury Prize at the Locarno Film Festival for “33 Scenes From Life” (2008). Additionally, she has been nominated for the European Discovery Award for her films “A Lucky Man” (2001) and “Stranger” (2005), as well as for best European director for “Body” at the European Film Awards.

Szumowska and Englert jointly directed “Woman Of…” (2023) and “Never Gonna Snow Again” (2020), two films that debuted in competition at the Venice Film Festival. Englert, who has been honored with the Sundance Cinematography Award for “Lasting” (2013), is also a five-time nominee for Best Cinematography at the Polish Film Awards and a six-time contender at the esteemed Camerimage festival for cinematography.

Arnstein, who has been nominated for a BAFTA award, writes for both films and television shows. After graduating from the National Film and Television School in 2020, she’s been creating original TV projects with firms like DNA, FX, Element Pictures, House Productions, FilmNation, and Ray Pictures. On the other hand, Bajon is a writer and assistant director recognized for his work on “Via Carpatia” (2018), “Open Your Eyes” (2021), and the upcoming project, “Project UFO” (2025).

This movie is created by Hype Studios and Gold Rush Pictures, two production companies. Hype Studios, situated in both Paris and Los Angeles, gained recognition for “Persian Lessons” (2020) and the Palme d’Or nominee “Limonov: The Ballad of Eddie” (2024). Meanwhile, Gold Rush Pictures is an international production house that garnered attention with its Palme d’Or-nominated film “Club Zero” (2023) during the 2023 Cannes competition and most recently, “The Light” (2025), which opened this year’s Berlin Film Festival. The producers of this project are Ilya Stewart and Vladimir Zemtsov.

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2025-05-23 14:16